ND township caps permit fee to accommodate plant

Spiritwood Township in eastern North Dakota has capped the cost of a building permit at $250,000 to accommodate a nitrogen fertilizer plant being planned by CHS Inc.

By:
Associated Press,

SPIRITWOOD, N.D. — Spiritwood Township in eastern North Dakota has capped the cost of a building permit at $250,000 to accommodate a nitrogen fertilizer plant being planned by CHS Inc.

The township’s fee structure would have set the cost of the building permit for the plant at about $1 million, based on construction costs of about $1 billion. CHS asked the township to lower the permit fee to $100,000.

CHS plans to make a final decision on the anhydrous ammonia plant in the Spiritwood Energy Park early next year. The plant would employ up to 175 people.

The permit fee cap applies to all future projects that agree not to apply for a full property tax exemption — something to which CHS has already agreed.